The video launches into a series of 80s rock cliches, with Assange full-throating a parody song against a montage of ever more bizarre poses and backdrops. Image by Rap Juice Media @ DailyMail

Julian Assange is either getting an imaginative, if slightly squirrely, version of “cabin fever” or his confinement in Ecuador has brought out “the wacky” in the usually dour-faced WikiLeaks founder. Whatever the inciting incident, the end result is a very strange campaign video for the upcoming Australian elections in which the WikiLeaks Party is one of three parties involved and has not only has put up seven candidates for the senate, but Assange himself is running for one of those positions. It’s understood, however, that even if he wins a seat, he would not be able to relocate to Australia to do the job without triggering extradition to Sweden on 2010 sexual offense allegations made by two Swedish women. But if his candidacy is only symbolic, he’s certainly throwing himself into the exercise!

In a just-released and somewhat bizarre video produced by Juice Rap News, an ensemble of comedic actors parodies the candidates running for office – all in purposely goofy wigs and ridiculous make-up and costumes – playing off themes from the Game of Thrones. It’s at the 3:30 mark that we’re introduced to the star of the show: Julian Assange. He’s initially shot in his requisite suit, somewhat rakish blonde hair and typically dry expression, but after the “interviewer” in the piece announces “MAKE OVER!!” we cut to the money shot: Assange in all his 1980’s glory, complete with classic mullet, 80s rocker headband, a tacky green and yellow Australian athletic jersey and a decidedly impish look on his face… meaning, a Julian Assange we have never seen before!

From that point the video launches into a series of 80s rock video cliches, with Assange full-throating (a lip-synch, by the way; the vocals are not his) a parody version of the very popular song “You’re the Voice” by John Farnham. From cut to cut, we see the requisite shots: bad multiple images, profile singing shots, various bizarre green-screen backgrounds (many of actual images and video leaked by WikiLeaks), and so on, but the novelty of the piece is clearly the opportunity to see the mysterious, nefarious figure of controversy participating in this mad-cap romp.

Despite the shenanigans, some actual political proselytizing is injected into the piece, as the Wikileaks founder is, in fact, campaigning for greater openness in government as well as peace. From The Daily Mail:

The first few minutes of the video feature a merciless parody of the two principal election candidates, Labor’s Kevin Rudd and the Liberal Tony Abbott, as well as former prime minister Julia Gillard.

The video’s presenter seems unimpressed with the mainstream candidates – but at that point, the camera cuts to the Ecuadorean embassy in Knightsbridge, West London, where Assange has been staying since the Supreme Court ruled that he should be deported to Sweden to stand trial in June 2012.

The co-presenter refers to Assange’s bid for the Australian senate, where he hopes to represent his own WikiLeaks Party, but suggests that the eccentric-looking fugitive ‘needs a makeover’ to appeal to ‘all the Sheilas and blokes back home in Oz’.

The clip then skips to show Assange, dressed in an Australia sports top with a tie around his head decorated with the national flag. He throws out stereotypical Aussie phrases such as ‘Good on ya!’ and ‘Bloody oath!’ [… ]

Then the video becomes even more surreal, as it segues into a parody of 1986 soft rock hit You’re the Voice by John Farnham, one of Australia’s best-known songs. The political lyrics include: ‘We’ve got to make things leak, so we can get much bolder – oh we’re all wire-tapped now, we’re all being fed lies.’

He sings, ‘Not long till we get all the rats out,’ as the actors playing Rudd, Abbott and Gillard appear behind him.

When he reaches the chorus, ‘You’re the light that the world’s demanding,’ Assange spins around and appears in a line with multiple versions of himself.

The election is on September 7th and many are interested to see how this campaign plays out. But whatever the end result, this is, without a doubt, a strange – if musical – new chapter in the still unfolding sage of Julian Assange.